Around the NBA: Bryant, teammates celebrate return to Finals

Chris Beaven

Saturday

May 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMMay 31, 2008 at 10:03 PM

It seemed an unimaginable sight when the NBA season began last October. But there Kobe Bryant was Thursday night, laughing and smiling, standing arm-and-arm with teammates while he and the Lakers savored their return to the game’s biggest stage -- the NBA Finals.

It seemed an unimaginable sight when the NBA season began last October.

But there Kobe Bryant was Thursday night, laughing and smiling, standing arm-and-arm with teammates while he and the Lakers savored their return to the game’s biggest stage -- the NBA Finals.

“We’re a bunch of kids, so we enjoyed it,” Bryant said. “We laughed, joked around, clowned around with each other. We made fun of Sasha (Vujacic) for shooting that last three. That’s what we do. ... We are kind of a goofy bunch.”

It’s a bunch no one imagined seeing celebrating a Western Conference title with Bryant as their leader. Not after an offseason of discontent where trading Bryant seemed inevitable. Even as the season began, rumors of Bryant heading to Chicago wouldn’t go away. Lakers coach Phil Jackson called that a “bewildering” time for Bryant “where things were tenuous at best.”

But once the season began, Bryant devoted himself to his team and was rewarded with significant improvement by several teammates as a bond formed.

“He’s been able to throw his energy whole-heartedly into this team,” Jackson said. “This has to be a very special feeling again for him.”

Throw in the remarkable midseason trade for Pau Gasol and the Lakers became the team Bryant wanted them to be.

“Now it’s time to move on and see if we can’t finish it off,” Bryant said.

Bring back the ‘80s

The Lakers, of course, are just half of this throwback finals with the Celtics. All 10 NBA Finals in the 1980s featured at least one of these two franchises with them going head-to-head in ‘84, ‘85 and ‘87.

“I remember that like it was yesterday,” Celtics All-Star Kevin Garnett said of watching those showdowns as a kid 20 years ago.

“That’s what got me into basketball,” said Celtics All-Star Paul Pierce, who grew up in the Los Angeles area as a Lakers fan. “ ... I think that rivalry pretty much revolutionized the game of basketball and now I’m part of it.”

Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis played a prominent role for L.A. in each of those series.

“It brings back a lot of good memories because it was two great teams at a great time of NBA basketball,” Rambis told the L.A. Times. “Two teams that were loaded with talent, the greatest possible competitive environment. … It just made it such an enjoyable time in my life.”

For the record

- The Celtics beat the Lakers twice in the regular season, 107-94 in Boston in November and 110-91 in L.A. in late December.

- The Celtics (16) and Lakers (14) have combined for the 30 NBA titles while the rest of the league’s other 28 teams have 31 championships between them.

- The Celtics are 8-2 vs. Lakers in the finals, with L.A. winning the last two meetings in ‘85 and ‘87.

- The Lakers are in the finals for a 29th time. This is Boston’s 20th appearance.

- Jackson is seeking his 10th title as a coach, which would allow him to past the late Red Auerbach for the most championships in league history.

Easy does it

While Bryant was outstanding during the regular season and has been even better during the playoffs, some in the media need to calm down with the Michael Jordan comparisons.

Even Bryant said as much on ESPN.

“Just let me be me,” he said in an interview with Stephen A. Smith. “I want to be the best I can be. ... Michael is Michael. You got to let me be me. ... We’re different people.”

So enjoy Bryant’s play and save the comparisons for another day -- a few more years down the road.

24-second clock

How different will the Spurs and Pistons look next season? Jason Maxiell continues to emerge in Detroit, which could mean Rasheed Wallace’s days are numbered.

Expect a different array of role players in San Antonio where Michael Finley, Kurt Thomas and Robert Horry could be on their way out.

In case anyone’s missed it, the Suns are still looking for a head coach. Detroit assistant Terry Porter, a former head coach in Milwaukee, could end up in charge of the Suns.

Not many players have been eager to play in Milwaukee in recent seasons. UCLA All-American forward Kevin Love, though, told the Racine Journal-Times he’ll have no trouble heading there if the Bucks draft him.

“Any city that I’m going to will be my new favorite city and I’m going to try and embrace it as best as possible,” Love told the paper.

“... What’s wrong with Milwaukee?” Love shot back. “I’d love it there. It would be great.”